Dine Brands International Announces First Virtual IHOP® Location in North America

Dine Brands International today announces the debut of its first virtual IHOP location in Toronto, Canada as part of its partnership with Ghost Kitchens Brands, which owns and operates a network of virtual kitchens across the continent, featuring items from more than 20 well-known restaurants and CPG brands.

At its 60 Sudbury St. location in Toronto’s Liberty Village area, guests can now enjoy a selection of IHOP’s World-Famous Pancakes, Breakfast Combos, Omelettes, Burritos, Bowls, and more for takeout and delivery. Ghost Kitchen Brands’ direct...

Nathan's Famous Launches New Bacon Cheddar Cheesy Burger in Celebration of National Cheeseburger Day

Nathan's Famous, Inc., the American tradition serving New York favorites for more than 100 years, announces the launch of its newest menu item, the Bacon Cheddar Cheesy Burger, just in time for National Cheeseburger Day on September 18. The burger features fresh Angus beef, Applewood smoked bacon, and Nathan’s hot, real cheddar cheese sauce.

"We continue to expand our menu based on our customers’ feedback and preferences, and this burger is no exception," states James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants...

Wingstop Announces Expanded Role for President of International Nicolas Boudet

Wingstop, the leading technology-focused restaurant brand with more than 1,600 locations worldwide, announced an expanded role for Nicolas Boudet to SVP of Global Development in addition to his current role, President of International.

"Since joining in 2018, Nicolas has made a profound impact on Wingstop's international footprint, pioneering the UK market and laying incredible groundwork for global growth," said Chairman and CEO Charlie Morrison. "Nicolas' strong background in development at leading brands will help catapult Wingstop to achieve our stated vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand..."

Ghost Kitchens Expands Walmart Relationship Into U.S. Market With Plans to Open More Locations

Ghost Kitchen Brands (Ghost Kitchens) is expanding its relationship with Walmart as it opens its first U.S. location in Rochester, New York. The opportunity will make one-stop meal pickup or delivery available from up to 25 well-known and loved brands including many new additions to Ghost Kitchens’ roster, such as Costa Coffee, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit and Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken.

This announcement builds on Ghost Kitchens’ existing Canadian relationship with Walmart and will see Ghost Kitchens open in additional locations in...

Kroger and Kitchen United Partner to Provide Customers Meal Pick Up and Delivery from Restaurants

Kroger and ghost kitchen industry leader Kitchen United announced a partnership to offer customers freshly prepared, on-demand restaurant food.

"Our customers' appetite for fresh, on-demand meals continues to accelerate, and we remain focused on offering new and innovative products that provide anything, anytime, anywhere," said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president, of fresh merchandising "Our partnership with Kitchen United taps into restaurants' growing use of off-premise kitchen space to increase...

Nathan's Famous Doubles the Number of Ghost Kitchens Worldwide Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Nathan’s Famous doubled the number of ghost kitchens worldwide since June 2020. The brand opened its 223th ghost kitchen, bringing the brand’s presence to over 18 countries across the globe. This rapid growth of ghost kitchens comes from the development of a new brand, Wings of New York, as well the revival of the Arthur Treacher’s brand.

"We are proud to announce that we have doubled our ghost kitchens across the globe,” states James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants. “We could not have done this without...

Thighstop's Take on National Chicken Wing Day: 'Save a Wing, Eat a Thigh'

This National Chicken Wing Day on July 29 comes amidst a national chicken wing crisis. Restaurant brands are widely bowing out this year, and consumers are left wondering where they will get their fix. But Thighstop, Wingstop's new virtual food brand, is giving the famous holiday new flavor by repositioning it as "Thighstop Thigh Day."

On one of the more popular food holidays among fans and foodies alike, Thighstop is determined to keep the celebration going by offering two free bone-in thighs with qualifying purchases on July 29. Available through Thighstop.com or DoorDash, the two free bone-in thighs are...

Arthur Treacher’s Franchise Re-launching as Virtual Kitchen Concept

Nathan’s Famous announces the addition of Arthur Treacher’s to the brand’s portfolio, now available as a ghost kitchen concept. Arthur Treacher’s, which was founded in 1969, offers hand-dipped fish, chicken and French fries. The menu, which has been revamped by Nathan’s Famous, will highlight the brand's traditional menu items while also featuring upgraded proteins, more contemporary builds, and includes a focus on shrimp.

"We are thrilled to provide operators across the country with the opportunity to add Arthur Treacher’s to their portfolio,” states James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants. “Nathan’s Famous and Arthur Treacher’s have...

Nathan's Famous Partner with Ghost Kitchens Brands to Open 100 Locations by End of 2021 

Nathan’s Famous announced its partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands (GKB). The partnership with Nathan’s Famous and Wings of New York, Nathan’s recently launched virtual kitchen brand, will help Nathan’s continue to bring their new menu to consumers across US and Canada with 60 non-traditional locations to the U.S. and 40 to Canada by the end of 2021. Many of these new kitchens will live inside Walmart stores offering some seating, and all locations included in the deal will offer carry-out and third-party delivery.

"We’re excited to continue our expansion across the US and Canada, and this partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands grows our footprint even more," states James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants. “We look forward to beginning this journey with GKB in their current kitchens and cities, with hopes of...

Nathan’s Famous Continues International Expansion in North America and Beyond

Nathan’s Famous, Inc., announces the expansion of their products to Mexico City, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The brand will also introduce its new virtual kitchen concept, Wings of New York, in all locations, with the exception of Brazil. Nathan’s Famous and Wings of New York will be available in a multitude of ways, including brick and mortar locations, ghost kitchens or retail, depending on the market.

“This is an exciting time for Nathan’s Famous and Wings of New York,” said James Walker, SVP, Restaurants. “We are embarking on a new chapter in our company as we continue to grow the brand’s presence all across the globe...

Ghost Kitchens Partners With Walmart Canada to Offer One-Stop Meal Pickup or Delivery

Ghost Kitchen Brands (GKB) is excited to announce it is teaming up with Walmart Canada, its first partnership with a big-box retailer to bring one-stop meal pickup and delivery to more Canadians. The first Ghost Kitchen at Walmart is now open in the St. Catharines Walmart (420 Vansickle Rd.) with additional locations in Woodstock, Toronto, Lachenaie and Saint-Constant to open in the coming months.

Customers can order freshly prepared meals in-store and online for contactless pickup or delivery (from a third-party app such as Uber Eats), and mix and match from more than 20 well-known brands including...

Nathan’s Famous Opens 100th Ghost Kitchen Since Pandemic Began

Nathan’s Famous, Inc., the American tradition serving New York favorites for more than 100 years, announced today the opening of its 100^th ghost kitchen since June 2020. The ghost kitchens, which offer both the Nathan’s Famous menu as well as the recently launched virtual kitchen concept Wings of New York, are open across the globe, ranging from markets like Dubai to Florida. Both brands currently have signed agreements to open an additional 45 locations in the coming months...

Nathan’s Famous Expands Through Third Party Delivery to Canada

Nathan’s Famous, Inc., announces the expansion of their menu offerings to Victoria, Canada. The menu is available to consumers through Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes third-party delivery only. Nathan’s Famous is offering its classic hot dog and fries as well as its expanded menu featuring premium burgers, hand-dipped chicken favorites and more.

“We are excited to bring the Nathan’s Famous menu to Victoria, Canada for the first time in the brand’s history,” said James Walker, SVP, Restaurants. “We expect the brand to resonate well with...

Muscle Maker Grill Opens the Doors to Their First Ghost Kitchen Location

Muscle Maker, Inc. the parent company of Muscle Maker Grill, Healthy Joe’s and MMG Burger Bar, a fast-casual concept known for serving “healthier for you” meals, announced the opening of its first ghost kitchen location in the Fairmount neighborhood of the city of Philadelphia. The company will open its second location in the Girard neighborhood.

Both the Fairmount and Girard locations are centrally located near a high density of both student/university eaters as well as a large pool of corporate workers who commonly order...

PODCAST: Lifting Others as We Grow - Mark Winkler, US Foods

This week Mark Winkler of US Foods discusses their innovations and initiatives through the COVID-19 pandemic. Between setting up ghost kitchens, helping small businesses adapt to a lack of indoor dining, and...

Technomic's Take: 2021 Global Trends Outlook

We can only guess what’s in store for 2021 in the global restaurant space. 2020 showed us—among so many things—that what’s expected and what happens don’t always align, to say the least. That said, we think our 2020 restaurant trend forecast holds up fairly well given the reality of the marketplace affected so drastically by the pandemic. Ghost kitchens certainly moved mainstream. Vegan fare got more space to stretch and grow. Plant-based meats continued to inform product development, especially across Asia. Beverage chains certainly broke out from the crowd—again, especially in Asia. And halloumi, pinsa pizzas and sliders had strong showings on chain menus across the world. So, what’s in store for the coming year...